DOWNTOWN BREMERTON: Project goes on to next phase

* The conference center must be designed and permitted, and construction must start before Jan. 1, 2003.

Now that public funding has been allocated for a conference center in downtown Bremerton, what's next?

"There are at least 15 next steps," said Mayor-elect Cary Bozeman.

Tuesday night, after seven months of deliberation, the six Kitsap Public Facilities District board members decided how to allocate the $11.5 million it can spend from a state sales tax rebate.

Bremerton wanted $7.5 million to help pay for a 15,000-square-foot waterfront conference center and parking garage. If it's built, the city has commitments of interest from private developers to construct an adjacent hotel, rest-aurant and retail center.

The PFD board gave the city $6.9 million for the center and also allocated $4.2 million for Kitsap County Fairgrounds improvements, $400,000 for its own operating expenses and $200,000 for bond fees.

The catch? The conference center must be designed and permitted, and construction must start before Jan. 1, 2003.

"It's like running the 110-yard high-hurdle race," Bozeman said. "You get over one hurdle and there's still another one, and another one. And we have to finish the race in a year."

But in this case, it's not just a hurdles race - it's a relay as well. There's a long line of people holding batons who must work together to win the race.

The ultimate prize:a project many believe is a key to revitalization of downtown Bremerton.

The first baton handoff will begin next month: Attorneys will write up agreements between the government entities and private companies involved. The city will put out a request for proposals for a hotel developer. The city has talked with Swinerton Inc. and Opus Northwest/LMI Architects, but no legal agreements have been signed with either firm.

"We want to give everybody a chance," Bozeman said.

Whichever firm gets the project must bring with it 100 percent of the capital needed to build the hotel and restaurant part of the project.

Then, an extensive permitting process - including environmental assessments along the shoreline - must be complete. The city will appoint a project coordinator exclusively for the conference center.

"I really believe the city is prepared to put the resources behind this project," said Bozeman, who served on the PFD board before he was elected mayor of the city.

Support for the conference center on the PFD board was not unanimous.

Four of the six board members - Chair Rick Smith, Vice Chair Andy Maron, Treasurer Donna Gross and Barry Cook - voted yes on the decision.

"There are 7 million reasons to be concerned about this project," Gross said. "But if we always wanted to be safe, nothing would get built."

The two 'no' voters - Cy Wyse and Linda Berry-Maraist - had different reasons for their opposition.

Maraist said that the smaller conference center - 15,000 instead of the original plan for a 25,000-square-foot center - would create unnecessary competition for the WestCoast Silverdale Hotel and Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel in Bremerton. It also would place the center in head-to-head competition with other convention centers in Western Washington.

She also questioned the wisdom of using some of the PFDmoney to subsidize a parking garage. The PFD money will pay for 170 of the proposed 750 parking stalls. Kitsap Transit will pay for another 200.

"We have a tremendous shortfall in recreational facilities in Kitsap," Maraist said. Wyse also believes more of the money should be given to the Kitsap County Fairgrounds project: "Four million dollars is a band-aid," he said.

But those who support the conference center project believed the view of the two opponents ignored the potential benefits of the project to the entire county.

"We have to make this work," Kitsap County Commissioner Tim Botkin told the board. "Otherwise, we wouldn't be here. If Kitsap is going to become an economically viable community, we need to support this project."

Bozeman, who will be sworn in as mayor Thursday, says he and the rest of the city stand ready to prove the project will be ready to go by January 2003.

"The magnitude of the work is scary in one way," Bozeman said, "and exciting in another."

What is the Kitsap Public Facilities District?

The district was established under state law to address the need for public facilities in Kitsap County and to identify ways to save money by sharing public facilities.

It has board members representing all four cities as well as unincorporated areas in Kitsap County.

Who are the members?

* Rick Smith, chairman, a Silverdale lawyer who lives in East Bremerton. He was appointed by Commissioner TimBotkin to represent Central Kitsap.

* Andy Maron, vice chairman, a municipal attorney who works for several local governments. He served as a Kitsap County freeholder and represents the city of Bainbridge Island on the board.

* Donna Gross, treasurer, former Port Orchard planner who is now a stay-at-home mom in Port Orchard. She represents that city.

* Cy Wyse, a retired architect, charter member of the Kingston Chamber of Commerce, president of the Kingston Kiwanis Club. He was appointed to represent North Kitsap by Commissioner Chris Endresen.

* Linda Barry-Maraist, an architect with the firm O'Conner & Associates. She lives in and represents Poulsbo.

* Barry Cook, an employee of Lockheed at Bangor and former chairman of the Bremerton Parks and Recreation Commission. He lives near Kitsap Lake. He represents the city of Bremerton, but is leaving the board Dec. 31.

* Avacancy was created when Cary Bozeman became mayor-elect of Bremerton and resigned his seat.He represented the SouthKitsap commissioner district on the board.

Reach reporter Sally Farhat at (360) 792-3343 or at sfarhat@thesunlink.com.

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